Adamant Anna Hazare to go ahead with fast despite illness

Adamant Anna Hazare to go ahead with fast despite illness

Suffering from a viral infection, Anna Hazare is determined about going ahead with his three-day fast from tomorrow in Mumbai against a "weak" Lokpal Bill.

74-year-old Hazare will leave his village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra for Mumbai later this afternoon by road and reach the city late evening, his aides said.

"Anna's fever has subsided and he will leave Ralegan Siddhi for Mumbai by road this afternoon as per schedule. There is no change in his programme," Suresh Pathare, Hazare's secretary, said.

Ahead of Anna Hazare's fast from Tuesday to demand a 'strong' Lokpal, Team Anna on Monday said it was not aligned with anyone in particular and that it was only fighting to achieve an "independent" and "non-partisan" Central Bureau of Investigation.

Adamant Anna Hazare to go ahead with fast despite illness

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said a solution in this regard should emerge from the debate in Parliament on the Lokpal Bill in the coming days.

"We are aligned with no one in particular but support anyone or any force that wants a corruption-free country. And to achieve that we need an independent, non-partisan CBI," she said.

The former IPS officer also said the Team wanted a CBI which cannot be "manipulated" by politicians. Bedi alleged that for years, the CBI has been "under the cover (of politicians)" and "politically manipulated" by parties.

"Since the problem is known, solution should be given on it and that is what should be done on December 27," she said.

On concerns about Hazare's health, Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan told rediff.com, "Keeping his health in mind Annaji would go on three day fast in Mumbai along with Kiran Bedi. We will keep an eye on the developments in the Lok Sabha"

Adamant Anna Hazare to go ahead with fast despite illness

According to Bhushan over a lakh people had so far enrolled themselves for Hazare's call for jail bharo andolan in the event of the failure of the government to pass a strong Lokpal Bill.

He claimed that leaders who spoke against the Bill during its introduction in Lok Sabha cannot even muster 500-1000 supporters to demonstrate.

Meanwhile, social activist and former Team Anna member Swami Agnivesh has urged Hazare and other civil society members to wait till the December 29 when the Lok Sabha concludes three-day-long discussion on the Lokpal Bill.